The bill permits representatives of a patriotic society, such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts or other patriotic societies defined in title 36 of the U.S. Code, the opportunity to speak to students about the group at school during the district’s first academic quarter as long they provide the school’s principal verbal or written notification of their intent.

The school principal has discretion over the time, place, and manner when representatives of a patriotic society are allowed to speak to students.

Rep. Leslie Heinemann described SB 117 as a way to “improve efficiency” in the program, which utilizes state dollars to fund private school scholarships through tax deductions from anonymous donors. The changes to “improve efficiency” included one check payment to schools instead of two, updating the free and reduced lunch legal reference changing the annual report date.